Final Fantasy XV Director Says Story Will Be “Unforced,” Compares Design to The Last of Us

Final Fantasy XV has been confirmed for a 2016 release, and with the release date to be unveiled this March, the development team is revealing more and more of their long-anticipated project. In a recent interview with Examiner, Game Director Hajime Tabata explained the narrative journey of Final Fantasy XV and how it would unfold in a grand RPG title.

“One of the important threads of the story in Final Fantasy XV is that tale of how Noctis goes from being a young prince in waiting to becoming the king of the country, that tale is a really big part of the game,” he shared, also mentioning that players will share an”emotional journey” through Noctis’ development.

As for how gameplay itself will tie into these themes, Tabata said the team is trying to create a cohesive narrative experience, much as in The Last of Us.

“We are really trying to aim for something where the gameplay and storytelling are really one in the same,” Tabata said. “It’s important that the story progresses through the gameplay in a very unforced way, in a similar way that it was done with The Last of Us, for example.”

This sort of development is particularly challenging in a large RPG, Tabata explained, since the “deeper, heavy and full story” would have to shine through “a more broad angle.”

What are you looking forward to seeing in Final Fantasy XV? Let us know in the comments, and for more, check out some of today’s top stories below.